Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age introduces an exciting new system that lets you choose specific jobs to train your party members in. It’s a far cry above the sometimes frustrating License Board growth system that the original set you up with, and this way you have some sort of say as to how your party ends up. Whether you’re interested in dealing more damage or keeping your party members from dying over and over again, here are some of the best job options for all skill levels.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age: The best jobs and abilities

Everyone needs a healer, at least if you don’t want to have to lose nearly every fight you run into. You need to look to a healer to make sure you’re still fighting fit, and the White Mage is the most appropriate job to accomplish this.

The role is great for nearly any character, but Balthier would make an excellent healer who can also deal damage in a pinch. If you need him to stop healing for a round and get some damage in, he’s a great choice and won’t get pummeled to the ground immediately. His strong constitution means he’s a great addition to your party, no matter if he’s meant to keep everyone alive or keep dealing bits of damage whenever possible.

You need a party member for damage-dealing, and the Shikari job is all for melee damage. If you use a Shikari job paired with another party member with the Knight job, you’ll be able to soak up damage and deal it out just as well.

Vaan can be used as a Shikari in any situation, but don’t expect a whole lot of damage from him alone. He’ll need to work alongside a tank character if you truly want him to make a difference. Still, this is a job you want to include if you’re able to.

Don’t let this job’s strange name fool you. The Time Battlemage is great with pairing up with a Monk if you have one, as it can support that role as well as White Mages and Shikari. Ashe, Vaan or Penelo can all make great Time Battlemages in a pinch, adding useful buffs to the rest of the party and weakening enemies.

There’s no doubt you’re familiar with what Black Mages do if you’re a Final Fantasy fan proper. They’re responsible for powerful dark magic, the opposite of the White Mage. You can assign just about anyone this role and reap strong magick rewards in the form of elemental spells and other damaging skills that will be a boon when you really need a strong team member to lean on.